2021 marks the 3rd year that Youth Creates fundraises to support cancer research by partnering with the Cancer League of Colorado.
The first event in 2019 was a feast of performing arts from youth and professional performers.
The second one in 2020 gathered wisdom and talent across the nation with the power of online meetings.
Gala for a Cure 2021 features a photography contest to capture the beautiful moments in life, an outdoor gathering to enjoy the thrill, freedom, and normalcy after the Covid lockdown, and numerous online sessions for fun learning. Please join us!
– Brought to you by the beautiful, versatile, and humorous Kerns sisters.
Youth Creates is hosting a photography event this summer from July 14th to July 30th. Contestants are given a list of prompts with point values assigned to them and have 2 weeks to take photos that fit the prompts. All photos will be judged by a group of judges, and those that qualify will receive points for that prompt. The top ten photographers with the most points will win an Amazon gift card and a Youth Creates certificate. Submitted photos may be posted on the Youth Creates website. Winners’ names and photos will be posted on the Youth Creates website.
Reagan Kerns
Reagan is a rising junior at Cherry Creek High School. She enjoys consuming terrible media and creating equally terrible media in her free time. Her other interests include history and puzzles. Her favorite things in the world are her pets, shows, and pie.
Marilyn is an energetic teenager who participates in dancing and taekwondo. She often writes and draws, and enjoys playing games such as Minecraft in her free time.
Marilyn Kerns
Who: Young adults and children interested in photography
Your Goal: To get as many points as possible by submitting photos of the various prompts
Prize: Top 10 contestants will be awarded an Amazon gift card of $15 each and a Youth Creates certificate. The reward ceremony will be announced.
When to submit: July 14th – July 30th
How to submit:
- You must register at first in order to participate in the competition.
- Email your products to youthcreatesphotography@gmail.com with email subject in the format of the contestant name + the prompt name. For example, John Doe’s submission of a photo of an eagle would have the email subject of “John Doe, Animals”.
All photos must be submitted by July 30 or they will not be counted.
Contestants can only submit one photo per prompt.
All photos must be taken within the two-week timeframe.
All photos must be named with the format of “prompt-contestant name”.
The organizer’s judgment is final and no complaint or appeal will be accepted.
Please check the contest rubrics and prompts for details: Photography Rubrics And Prompts.
After close monitoring requirements and guidelines from CDC, state, and county, Youth Creates is excited to announce an outdoor gathering filled with fun and laughter!
Location: Silo Park, 9300 E Orchard Rd, Greenwood Village, CO 80111
Time: June 18th, 4:00 pm – 8:00 pm Mountain Time
Activities: Games, Food, and much more! Join us for a pleasant surprise!
The Youth Creates team takes advantage of modern technologies and presents to you a series of subjects via teleconferencing, topics varying from the US history to the Chinese culture; from the Garch Model to predict stock performances to the popular Python language for machine learning; from the prestigious Speech and Debate program at Cherry Creek High School to the renowned Life Scout experiences.
Xinbo Yu
Time: June 11, 2021, 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm Mountain Time
Brandon Zhu
Michael Zhang
Python Programming
– Michael Zhang
Python is fun and powerful, and it is easy to learn. Python has become Michael’s new passion. Please join and share the joy!
Time: June 11, 2021, 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm Mountain Time
Emily Zhang
Sissel Wu
Vivian Rejman
Emily Zhang is an incoming sophomore at Cherry Creek High School. She lived in China for ten years before moving to Colorado and attending middle school. She is a teacher’s assistant at Denver Chinese School for Professor Ma’s 8-9th grade class. Starting last year, Emily has been directing Youth Creates’ Chinese Language and Culture program while gaining more experience with teaching and leadership. Emily loves interacting with kids and sharing her culture. She is looking forward to doing the same for this year’s Gala event with games regarding Chinese culture!
Vivian Rejman is a rising senior at Castle View High School. I was born in Beijing and lived there for 14 years. I moved to America 3 years ago. I now live in Castle Rock, Colorado and I love it here!
Time: June 12, 2021, 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm Mountain Time
Aria Zhou
Speech and Debate Crash Course
– Aria Zhou
Interested in joining Speech and Debate in High School? Learn all about the different types of events offered for Speech and Debate in this workshop! There are over 5 events you can choose from, ranging from ethical dilemmas to policy, and even to interpretive and persuasive performances and speeches. We’ll go over all of them, and help determine the best fit for you! Join us for an informative, engaging, and exciting workshop where we answer all your questions, taught by Aria Zhou, a Cherry Creek High School Speech and Debate Captain and State Champion in Informative Speaking.
June 13th, 2:30 -3:30 pm Mountain Time
Stephen Zhang
Ride the Tide – Predicting Tomorrow’s Stock with Garch Models
– Stephen Zhang
The stock market being outlandish and unpredictable? What if you CAN predict tomorrow with machine learning, some coding, and lots of luck!
Please join Stephen and see how the Garch models take you to confidence and success.
Time: June 14, 2021, 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm Mountain Time
Alex Chu
Introduction to Boy Scouts of America
– Alex Chu
Boy Scouts is a fun, leadership-building, and perseverance-based activity, for both Boys and Girls. Join Life Scout Alex Chu in an informative, introductory course on Boy Scouting.
Time: June 17, 2021, 3:00 pm – 4:00 pm Mountain Time
All workshops and presentations will be held through Zoom. Zoom information will be emailed to you shortly after you sign up 
.
Event Chairs
Suzanne Alliano-Rossick
Honorary Chair
Suzanne moved to Colorado in 2014, a graduate of San Diego State University with a BS in communications. She worked in media and Communications for 14 years and was a previous Sales Manager for NBC Television, CBS and GSM for Sierra Broadcasting Corporation.
Suzanne is very passionate about the community and believes in giving back. She served on the Board of Directors for Rotary International and focused her efforts on International Service and Community Projects. Also, a member of the International Broadcasters Idea Bank. She has volunteered with various charities since moving to Denver including fundraising for the Colorado Ballet and helping with the Denver Center for Performing Arts. She also volunteered with San Diego Zoo Global.
Suzanne Currently serves as VP Communications and media for the Cancer League of Colorado, she loves this charity because 100% of funds raised goes to Cancer research and programs in the State.
Suzanne is married and has 3 beloved children.
Barbara & Gary Reece
Honorary Chairs
Currently, Gary is a member of the Board of Directors and Chairman of the Audit Committee for M.D.C. Holdings, Inc. (“MDC”), one of the largest homebuilding companies in the United States. In addition, he is serving in his eleventh consecutive year as President of Cancer League of Colorado, an all-volunteer non-profit organization that raises money to support cancer research and related patient care services in Colorado. Until 2019, he also served on the Board of Directors of Families First, a non-profit organization that provided services to parents and children with the objective of ending the cycle of child abuse and neglect. Barb and Gary were instrumental in merging that organization in May 2019 with Shiloh House, a local non-profit organization with a similar mission.
We moved to Denver in August 1988, at which time Gary joined MDC as Vice President of Tax. In January of 1990, he was named Chief Financial Officer of MDC, and he served in this position for almost 19 years. In August 2008, Gary retired from MDC after 20 years of service. Prior to joining MDC, he spent 11 years with Occidental Petroleum Corporation (“Oxy”) in various corporate tax-related management positions in their Houston (1977-1984), Tulsa (1984-1986) and Los Angeles (1986-1988) offices, the latest of which was Director of Tax Planning at their headquarters in Los Angeles. Gary started his professional career in 1976 as a tax accountant for Texas Eastern Transmission Corporation in Shreveport, Louisiana, before joining Oxy in 1977 in Houston.
Gary graduated from the University of Texas at Austin (BBA in accounting) in 1976 after earning the first two years of his undergraduate education at Texas Christian University (TCU) and the third at the University of Texas at Arlington. He also holds a CPA license in the state of Texas. Barb and Gary were married after Gary’s sophomore and Barb’s freshman year at TCU in 1974 and have been married for 46 years. Barb left TCU after her freshman year to work full-time putting Gary through the remainder of his undergraduate education. We have two adult married children and six grandchildren.
In addition to her support of Gary’s career and raising two very active, athletic and multi-talented children, Barb has served in leadership positions for school PTOs/PTAs and charitable organizations in virtually every location where we have lived. These positions include President roles for Families First, Junior Symphony Guild and Cancer League of Colorado. She supported or chaired the fundraising Showhouse for Junior Symphony Guild in Denver for 10 years. She served on the Board of Families First in Denver for 28 years, including her time as President of the Board for 10 of those years. She was President of Cancer League of Colorado in 2007-2008, chaired six Cancer League Hope Balls, and is currently serving her 11th consecutive year as Vice President of Fundraising.
Stephen Zhang
Chair
Xinbo Yu
Co-Chair
Yubo Wang
Co-Chair
Aria Zhou
Co-Chair
Emily Zhang
Co-Chair
Sissel Wu
Co-Chair
Brandon Zhu
Co-Chair
Alex Chu
Co-Chair
Michael Zhang
Co-Chair
Zoey Hao
Co-Chair
Ethan Hao
Co-Chair
Reagan Kerns
Co-Chair
Marilyn Kerns
Co-Chair